The Step-Brother
by Kate P
Summary: When Ben plans to marry again, Joe has problems with his prospective step-brother


THIS STORY IS WRITTEN FOR PLEASURE NOT PROFIT AND IS NOT INTENDED TO INFRINGE ON ANY KNOWN COPYRIGHT  
  
THE STEP-BROTHER  
  
A Bonanza Story  
  
By Kate  
  
Joe Cartwright was looking forward to getting home, back to the Ponderosa, his family's vast Nevada ranch. He had been away for nearly a month on a cattle drive with his brother. Hoss had remained behind in California where he was visiting with friends and would not be returning home for another a week or so. Joe's spirits rose as he rode onto Ponderosa property, he loved his home dearly. He had been born here on the Ponderosa and was always happiest when he was home on the great ranch.  
  
Riding up to the ranch house, he slid from his horse Cochise and made for the front door, hoping that he would find his father and his eldest brother Adam at home. "Pa, Adam!" He called loudly, entering the house.  
  
"Hey there, Little Joe." Adam greeted him; he was seated on the couch in front of the fireplace, engrossed in a newspaper.  
  
"Hi Adam." Joe was pleased to see his big brother, whilst the two did not always see eye-to-eye Joe had missed having Adam around the last few weeks. "Pa about?"  
  
"He's gone into Virginia City." Adam told him. "I'm not expecting him back until this evening. How did things go on the drive?"  
  
Joe gave his brother the money and the bill of sale for the cattle they had driven to California, then spent a while regaling Adam with tales of his travels over the last few weeks. "Right." He said as he finished his narrative. "I'm going to stable Cochise, then I think I'll get a long, hot bath. Wash all this trail dust off before dinner."  
  
****  
  
   
  
When Ben Cartwright led his horse, Buck, into the stable that evening he was pleased to see Cochise in his stall, meaning his youngest son, Joe, was home. The house always seemed so quiet when Joe was away, he thought, his son's lively personality was such a vital part of their home. Entering the house Ben saw Adam sitting alone at the table, eating.  
  
"Hi, Pa." He greeted his father as Ben hung up his hat and removed his gun belt. "You're just in time for supper. Hop Sing's stew." He indicated the tureen on the table. "Still good and hot."  
  
"I see Joe's home." Ben remarked crossing to the table. "Where is he, in his room?"  
  
"He's right behind you." Adam smiled. "I guess the journey must have just worn him out."  
  
Ben turned; Joe was fast asleep on the couch. Ben smiled fondly as he studied his sleeping son; it was rare to see Joe so still during the day. "I guess I'll leave him be." He said softly. "He looks peaceful there." Joining Adam at the table, he helped himself to a plate of the beef stew.  
  
"How did you make out in Virginia City?" Adam asked as his father began to eat.  
  
"Very well." Ben replied. "In fact very well indeed, I asked Mary if she would do me the honour of becoming my wife and she has graciously consented."  
  
Adam raised his eyebrows as he regarded his father. "Pretty quick work, Pa." He commented.  
  
Ben frowned at him. "Perhaps." He conceded. "But I know that she's the right one Adam, even after just three weeks I can't imagine being without her."  
  
"Without who?" Joe's sleepy voice inquired as, roused from sleep by their voices, he struggled into a sitting position and yawned widely.  
  
"Ah well, since you've been away Pa's been courting." Adam told him. "And it seems we're about to have ourselves a step-mother and step-brother."  
  
Joe grinned at his father. "And you say I'm impulsive." He said mischievously.  
  
Adam laughed at the look on Ben's face. "He's got you there, Pa."  
  
Joining in his son's laughter Ben was forced to agree.  
  
****  
  
Joe joined his father and brother at the table; he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about the news of his father's impending marriage. He could hardly remember his mother, and ever since her death the Ponderosa had been an all- male household, it would be strange to have a woman around the place. "So tell me all about her." He said to Ben. "What's she like and where did you meet her? Tell me everything."  
  
"Her name is Mary Kendall." Ben told him. "And she has son, Zack, who's the same age as you are."  
  
Mary was visiting relations in Virginia City, Ben told him. They had met when Mary's cousin had introduced them after Sunday church service. Ben had immediately felt himself drawn to the tall, slender woman with the dark blonde hair and gentle smile. Things had just progressed from there and within a very short time Ben realised that he was falling in love. Then, the day before yesterday Mary had told Ben that she was leaving for home, her visit was at an end and she had to return to New York. Ben was devastated, realising how much Mary had come to mean to him. So, he had ridden into town today to ask Mary to marry him and come to live with his family on the Ponderosa, she had consented. "I just know that you'll like her, Joe." Ben said eagerly. "She's coming out to stay with us from tomorrow, her cousin's are leaving for a visit to their daughter, so I asked Mary and Zack to come out and stay here."  
  
"She's a nice woman, Joe." Adam put in. "Pa's right, I'm sure you'll like her."  
  
But Adam wasn't so sure Joe would like Zack, on the one occasion that Adam had met the youth he hadn't been at all impressed. Zack was eighteen, the same age as Joe, but he was very different. He had struck Adam as a spoilt brat, used to getting his own way all the time and the way he spoke to his mother was nothing short of insolent, certainly more than Ben would ever tolerate, Adam had grave reservations about how Zack Kendall would fit in at the Ponderosa.  
  
****  
  
Joe stood beside Adam and watched as his father helped his bride-to-be from the surrey. Mary's hand on his arm, Ben walked across to his sons, behind him a blonde, sullen looking youth alighted from his horse.  
  
"Mary, you already know Adam." Ben said, smiling at his sons. "And this young man is Joseph."  
  
"Welcome to the Ponderosa, Ma'am." Joe welcomed her. "I'm very pleased to meet you."  
  
"And I you, Joseph." Mary smiled at him. "You have such handsome boys, Ben." She said, turning to their father.  
  
"You haven't met brother Hoss yet." Joe grinned, earning himself a frown from his father.  
  
"As my mother seems to have forgotten to introduce me." Spoke up the youth from behind Ben and Mary. "I'll do it myself. The name's Zack."  
  
Mary reddened slightly. "I'm sorry dear." She said to her son. "I was just about to introduce you to Joseph."  
  
Joe held out his hand to Zack. " Call me Joe." He said. "Seems we're going to be related."  
  
"Seems so." Zack ignored Joe's outstretched hand. "Give me a hand in with the luggage." He said, indicating the pile of cases in the back of the surrey.  
  
Joe frowned, but catching his father's look, which plainly told him to watch his temper, went to help unload.  
  
****  
  
   
  
"If I behaved like that Pa would throw a fit!" Joe was sitting out on the porch with Adam, it was late evening and dusk was falling, throwing its shadows over the ranch, the air taking on a faint chill as night approached. The Cartwrights and their two guests had not long finished their evening meal. Hop Sing had prepared a veritable banquet as a welcome to the Kendall's. Mary had enthused over the food, obviously enjoying it, Zack, however was not so impressed. Joe had been stunned by the youth's attitude, he had complained that the meat was overcooked, the vegetables undercooked. When his mother had praised Hop Sing, being rewarded by a smile from the little man, Zack had remarked that his mother was a far better cook and Hop Sing would. 'Need to make way in the kitchen.'  
  
"And Pa never said a word." Joe said to Adam now.  
  
"I suppose he feels that it's up to Mary to deal with Zack." Adam told him. "I just hope he didn't hurt Hop Sing's feelings too badly."  
  
"Pa wants me to show Zack around the ranch tomorrow." Joe grimaced. "I can't say that I'm looking forward to it, you were right about Mary though Adam, she seems real nice."  
  
The two brothers sat in silence for a while, each busy with their own thoughts, around them the dusk deepened to full darkness, the night sky dotted with stars, a soft breeze sighing through the pines.  
  
"It's not ever going to be the same around here though, is it?" Joe broke the silence, his tone slightly wistful, however much he wanted to see his father happy, he realised that it was not going to be easy to learn to share him with Mary.  
  
"No." Adam replied. "I guess not." He also had been thinking about his father's impending marriage and the changes it would bring. Perhaps, he thought, it was time he moved out, got his own place, left his father and his new wife to build a life together. After all he was thirty now, twelve years Joe's senior, time to move on.  
  
****  
  
   
  
"Trees and lakes." Zack drawled. "Seen one, seen 'em all."  
  
Joe frowned, he had just about had enough of Zack's attitude, the two young men had ridden out that morning for a tour of the Ponderosa. Joe was proud of his home and usually he enjoyed showing it off to visitors, but Zack was notably unimpressed. He had dismissed the cattle as "Just cows", the horses earned a "Seen better" and now it seemed, even the magnificent scenery wasn't to his taste. Conversation had been difficult as well, Zack ignoring Joe most of the time, answering any direct questions with little more than monosyllabic replies. Joe had learned little about the youth.  
  
"You got better where you come from?" Joe's tone was clipped, his father had asked him to try and make friends with Zack, the boy had few friends. 'I can see why.' Joe thought  
  
"I'm just not interested in the countryside." Zack replied. "Give me a city any day." His voice took on a little animation as he spoke. "The theatres, the bars, the shows, you don't know what you're missing stuck out here in the back of beyond."  
  
Joe looked at him in surprise; it was the most he had heard him say. Perhaps he was homesick, Joe thought, he could sympathise with that, when he was away from the Ponderosa he felt the same way. "I'm sure you'll get to like it." He told Zack. "And Virginia City's not that far away."  
  
"I don't intend to 'get to like it'." Zack's voice was harsh. "I hate this place, and I don't intend to hang around here for long."  
  
Joe was heartily pleased to hear that, but he held his tongue, suggesting that they return to the house, which Zack eagerly agreed to do.  
  
****  
  
   
  
The next few days passed slowly, Joe and Adam saw little of Mary and Zack, they were too busy about the ranch. When the family were together Zack was rarely present anyway, he seemed to spend most of his time in town. Joe couldn't help feeling a little resentful that Zack appeared to come and go as he wished, returning at all hours, and frequently the worse for drink.  
  
Instead of being angry with Zack about his behaviour Ben seemed to be going out of his way to be nice to the youth. Watching his father one morning as he talked with Zack, an arm around the boy's shoulders, Joe was surprised to realise that he was feeling jealous. Ben seemed to have been spending all his time with Zack and Mary lately. Joe realised he hadn't been alone with his father since they had arrived at the ranch. He mentally reprimanded himself for the thought, shouldn't the most important thing be that his father was happy, and Mary certainly made him happy, so Joe would just have to learn to tolerate Zack. Joe was relieved, however, when Hoss returned home from California. He had been missing him, Hoss was a friend as much as a brother and someone in whom Joe could confide.  
  
Hoss was elated to discover his father's marriage plans and he took to Mary straight away. He even did his best to be friendly to Zack. "He's just feelin' left out." He told Joe, when his young brother complained about Zack. "He don't feel he fits in here yet, give it some time Joe."  
  
"I'm the one who's left out." Joe complained. "Pa spends all his time with the Kendall's lately, he hardly speaks to me any more, except to complain if I'm late for dinner, or late back from town and all the time Zack gets away with doing the self same thing and not a word said about it."  
  
"Seems like the green eyed monster's gotta hold of you little brother." Hoss said, and then laughed, realising that Joe's eyes were indeed green and, at the moment, angry.  
  
"I'm not jealous." Joe said vehemently, denying his feelings. "I like Mary well enough and I can see that Pa's happy, I just feel that if Zack is going to be a part of this family, then he ought to get treated the same as us."  
  
Hoss nodded, there was some justification in what Joe said, at the moment the way that Zack was allowed free rein was causing his little brother to feel resentful, which didn't auger well for their future relationship as step-brothers. Hoss decided that he would speak to Adam about it, then Adam could approach Ben, their father was probably more likely to listen to his eldest son, he was usually respectful of Adam's point of view.  
  
****  
  
   
  
Joe was working at the corral when Zack strolled across to find him. Seating himself atop the wooden fence he watched as Joe dismounted from the horse he had been breaking.  
  
Looking up Joe saw Zack, he scowled, wondering what the youth wanted with him. 'Just lounges around the place all day doing nothing.' Joe thought bitterly. 'About time Pa found some work for him to do.' "You want me for something?" He asked. Walking slowly across to join Zack by the fence.  
  
"Just thought I'd come out for a little talk." Zack replied.  
  
Joe was surprised, Zack had shown no desire to talk to him before. "What about?" He asked shortly.  
  
Zack turned to look at him, Joe saw malevolence in his grey eyes. "I just got through talking to my mother." Zack said. "Seems that you've been complaining about me to your big brothers. Seems you think I'm getting unfair treatment around here."  
  
Joe didn't reply, he couldn't deny the accusation, he had complained.  
  
"So now." Zack continued. "You're Pa's been on at my mother to get me to toe the line, be a good little boy like you, and he wants me to do some work around the ranch, your idea again, I gather."  
  
Joe still didn't reply, he was angry at Zack's words but also pleased that his father was taking action to bring Zack into line.  
  
"You might have to do what your Pa tells you." Zack was also angry, his voice raised. "But I don't. I guess I'll have to go along with it for now, but I'll get back at you Joe Cartwright, see if I don't." With that he jumped down from the fence and stalked off towards the house.  
  
****  
  
  
  
Dinner was a quiet meal, the hostility between Joe and Zack quite clear to everyone at the table. Ben sighed inwardly, he had hoped that the two youths would become friends; it would have made the assimilation of the Kendalls into his family so much easier. Unfortunately it seemed they were more enemies than friends at the moment. He looked down the table at the two. Zack, so pale skinned with straight blonde hair and pale grey eyes, Joe with his dark curls, flashing green eyes and skin tanned from outdoor work, they seemed like complete opposites. He thought back to Adam's conversation with him this morning. It was true, he had realised, that Zack was getting away with doing things that Joe was being called up on. He had hoped that Mary might have suggested that Zack curb his behaviour, he had been unwilling to reprimand the boy himself and perhaps jeopardise their future relationship. He should have realised how that would look to Joe, he chided himself now. Still, Mary had agreed with his suggestion that Zack attempt some work around the Ponderosa and Ben hoped that the situation would now improve. He looked to his other two sons, Hoss was concentrating on his food, as always, but he was keeping up a lively conversation with Mary at the same time, Adam on the other hand, was solemn, brooding over something.  
  
"I called in to see Roy Coffee this morning." Ben said, as the table grew quiet. "Seems like some of our neighbours have been having a little trouble."  
  
"What sort of trouble?" Asked Adam, coming out of his reverie.  
  
"They've been robbed, mostly of money, though some jewellery and a few guns have also gone missing."  
  
"Does the Sheriff know who's to blame?"  
  
"He has an idea about the culprits." Ben answered Adam. "He feels that the two Bryant boys may have something to do with it. Dan Carpenter was robbed and he saw the Bryant's up by his place a couple of hours before he discovered the theft, but there's no proof, Roy searched their place but found nothing."  
  
"Those two are bad news all right." Adam frowned. "Best keep an eye out around here, there's plenty of things here that could attract a thief."  
  
****  
  
Joe paid for the purchases that his father had asked him to make in the mercantile, leaving the store he decided that there would be time for a beer in the saloon and he should still make it back home in time for dinner. Crossing the dusty street, Joe entered the bar. "I'll take a beer." He said to the bartender, who filled a glass with the cool amber liquid and handed it to Joe. Leaning back against the bar Joe looked about him, hoping to see someone he knew. The place was crowded, all the tables taken by men drinking, smoking and gambling.  
  
As his eyes scanned the saloon Joe's gaze was drawn to three young men sitting at a table towards the back of the room, he recognised the two Bryant boys, Andy and Jim. And sitting with them, his back to Joe, was Zack. Recalling the conversation at dinner the previous evening Joe wondered exactly what Zack was doing with the Bryant's, deciding to see if he could find out, he strolled across to join the three.  
  
"Well, well." Zack drawled, looking up as Joe reached the table. "If it isn't Little Joseph Francis."  
  
Joe flushed angrily; he'd had no idea that Zack was aware of his middle name. "Afternoon, Zack." He said, deciding to ignore the jibe. "Andy, Jim mind if I join you?"  
  
"Sorry, Joe." Zack's tone was scornful. "But this is a private conversation."  
  
Joe shrugged and walked away, his dislike for Zack Kendall was growing stronger by the hour.  
  
****  
  
   
  
Joe was just beginning his journey home, driving the wagon loaded with the supplies he had purchased earlier, when Zack came up alongside him mounted on his horse.  
  
"Wait up, Joe." He called.  
  
Joe halted the wagon and waited whilst Zack dismounted, tied his horse to the back of the wagon and then climbed up beside Joe. "Thought I'd ride back with you." He said. Leaning back in the seat as Joe urged the horse forward once more. "Got a little something I want to discuss with you."  
  
"What?" Joe asked briefly.  
  
"I don't like you." Zack began. "And you don't like me, but let's get one thing clear, if you run to your father with tales about me, then it's going to be you that ends up in trouble."  
  
"I don't tell tales." Joe's reply was heated.  
  
"My Ma tells me everything." Zack continued as if Joe had not spoken. "I know so much about you Cartwrights you just wouldn't believe it. Everything your father tells my mother, I get to know. So, if you tell your old man that I've been meeting with the Bryant's, I'll soon know about it."  
  
"Is that supposed to scare me?" Joe asked angrily.  
  
"It works both ways Cartwright." Zack warned. "I can convince my Ma of anything, her precious boy can get away with anything. And I'm sure that she can convince your father of anything, just remember that. If you try to get at me, who do you think he'll listen to, you or her?"  
  
Joe didn't reply, he had never before doubted that his father would believe him in any situation, but he had never seen his father this involved with a woman before.  
  
****  
  
   
  
Zack had appeared to be asleep for most of the remainder of the journey. On arriving at the ranch Joe leapt down from the wagon. He was angrily starting to unload the goods from the mercantile when Zack roused himself, climbed down and came to get his horse. He paused to watch Joe for a moment. "I heard about your mother." He said at length. "That kind of amused me."  
  
Joe stopped what he was doing immediately, turning to face the youth, hands clenched into fists. "What about my mother?" He asked, his voice icy.  
  
"Just seems odd to me." Zack goaded. "Mr high and mighty Cartwright marrying a woman who was, shall we say, less than respectable?"  
  
Joe's eyes blazed with anger, his fists came up, ready to swing.  
  
"Joe!" Ben, coming from the house, saw the situation with alarm. "Joseph. Stop!"  
  
But Joe was beyond the point of no return, he was afire with anger, his temper finally snapping, he swung hard at Zack and sent the youth sprawling in the dirt.  
  
Reaching Joe, Ben grabbed his son's arm to restrain him, angrily Joe shook him off.  
  
"Leave me alone!" He yelled, his eyes still fiery. "He had it coming!"  
  
Mary, hearing the commotion came out from the house, seeing her son still lying where he had fallen, nose bloodied, she ran to him. Kneeling on the ground beside Zack she rounded on Joe. "How dare you!" She cried. "How dare you hit my son."  
  
"What's all this about Joe?" Ben asked anxiously. "What did Zack do to make you so angry?"  
  
"I'm so sorry, Mr Cartwright." Zack said, rising to his feet with his mother's assistance, and brushing himself down. "I have tried my level best to make friends with Joe, but he just doesn't seem to like me."  
  
Ben turned to his son. "I'd like an explanation, Joseph." He said sternly, putting a hand on Joe's shoulder.  
  
Joe moved away from his father's touch, he felt hurt and betrayed. He hadn't thought his father would ever divulge that information about his mother. Behind Ben he could see Zack smirking at him. Turning abruptly, he walked rapidly away, side-stepping his father's outstretched arm as he attempted to stop him.  
  
Adam, who had watched everything from the doorway of the barn, followed his younger brother inside.  
  
****  
  
   
  
Knocking on Joe's door, but not waiting for a reply, Adam entered his brother's room. He found Joe lying on the bed, arms folded behind his head.  
  
"What do you want?" He snapped at Adam.  
  
Adam crossed the room to sit on the bed beside his brother. "Calm down." He said. "I'm on your side here." He studied Joe with concern, noting the hurt expression in his brother's green eyes. "What's the problem buddy?" He asked softly.  
  
"How could Pa do it?" Joe burst out, anger flaring once more.  
  
"What's Pa done?" His brother inquired, puzzled. "I thought it was Zack that was the problem."  
  
"Pa told Mary about…about my mother." Joe told him. "And Zack just had to get a dig in about it, that's why I hit him."  
  
Adam was aghast; he knew how sensitive his little brother was on the subject of his mother, how protective he was of her memory. He was surprised that his father would confide the details of his third wife's past to anyone, even his wife-to-be, and even if he had, that Mary would pass on those details to her son was unthinkable. "Perhaps you should have a talk with Pa about this." He counselled. "See what he has to say about it."  
  
Joe shook his head stubbornly. "No, I don't want to talk to Pa." He said softly. "Not after what he told Mary."  
  
"I'm sure Pa would never have told Mary about Marie if he thought for a moment that it would get back to Zack." Adam said gently. "He wouldn't want to hurt you, Joe."  
  
"I'm sure that Zack deliberately provoked me into hitting him." Joe told Adam. "Because he thought I might tell Pa about seeing him in the saloon this afternoon with the Bryant's."  
  
"You saw him with the Bryant boys?" Adam's tone was thoughtful, he had noticed that Zack had seemed to have money to burn the last few weeks, various storeowners and barkeepers that Adam knew in Virginia City had expressed surprise to him that Zack had been spending so freely in their establishments. Now Adam began to wonder if he had found the source of the youth's apparent wealth.  
  
****  
  
  
  
In Mary's room, Zack lay sprawled out on the bed, watching his mother as she dressed for dinner. He felt well satisfied with himself, he had certainly upset the apple cart with Joe, and he recalled with pleasure the angry look Joe had given his father. Zack was well aware that Joe felt that his father had betrayed his mother's memory by telling Mary about her past.  
  
"He sure doesn't think his old man's such a hero now." He remarked to his mother.  
  
Mary turned to look at her son, smoothing down the folds of her blue gown. "I wish you hadn't told Joe that." She said. "Suppose he asks his father about it?"  
  
"He won't, Ma." Zack laughed. "And even if he does you just deny all knowledge, say he must be making it up to get me in trouble, you can convince old Ben I'm sure."  
  
"Well I'm not so sure." His mother replied, a frown touching her brow. "Ben is perfectly charming to me, kind and gentle, but I don't think he's as malleable as the other three."  
  
"Just so long as you get him to the altar." Zack told her. "Then we get rid of him and take our share of this place."  
  
This would be the fourth wealthy man that Mary had married in the past three years, the other three having met with unfortunate 'accidents' within months of the wedding ceremonies, leaving Mary most of their fortunes. But Mary and Zack were fond of good living and the money had soon run through their fingers. Reading an article about Ben Cartwright and his ranch in a San Francisco newspaper one day, Zack had suggested to his mother that they should pay a visit to Mary's cousin in Virginia City and see if they could make Ben's acquaintance. All had gone even better than he had hoped, though Zack had to admit the three Cartwright sons were an unfortunate complication in his plans. If they weren't around, he thought, the fortune coming to his mother after Ben's death would keep them in the manner to which they were accustomed for the rest of their lives. But one murder would be enough, he had decided, four would just be too suspicious, they would just have to settle for a quarter share of Ben's wealth.  
  
"And I don't like all this snooping around you've got me doing." His mother was complaining now. "Hop Sing has almost caught me twice now."  
  
"Then be more careful!" He snapped at her. "I need to know all these things to stay one step ahead of the Cartwrights. It was a godsend you found that journal with the story of Joe's mother in it. You should have seen his face Ma!" He sighed with satisfaction. "Now I just need to work on old Ben a little." He continued. "Make him think I really want to be part of the family."  
  
****  
  
   
  
"Ben dear, I really think you should just let Joe be." Mary said anxiously. She watched Ben's face seeing the uncertainty in his dark eyes.  
  
"He's obviously upset over something." Ben told her. He was worried about Joe, in the days since the fight with Zack his youngest son had remained quiet and uncooperative, barely speaking to his father, not speaking at all to Zack.  
  
"It's understandable, Ben." Mary said, she reached for his hand, gently squeezing it. "It's hard for him to accept Zack and I, but I'm sure he will given time and at least you and Zack are getting on better."  
  
Ben nodded, as the relationship with his own youngster had deteriorated so the one with Zack had flourished. The boy had been working well on his chores around the ranch, spending less time in town, he had even requested if it would be alright to address Ben by his Christian name as they were going to be related, a request which Ben agreed to happily. It wasn't just Joe that worried Ben either, Adam too was acting strangely, he had become very quiet over the past few days, and Ben would often catch him staring off into space, an abstracted look on his face. At least Hoss was the same as normal, Ben thought, thankful for the equable temperament of his middle son. Still, perhaps Mary was right, it was a big adjustment for Joe to make and if he just left well alone for a while, hopefully it would work itself out in the end.  
  
****  
  
   
  
"You want to rob the Cartwrights place?" Jim Bryant stared at Zack in consternation. "Ain't that a bit like bitin' the hand that feeds ya?"  
  
"I'm just about out of ready cash." Zack told him with a frown. "The Cartwrights got more money than anyone else round here and I aim to get some of it."  
  
The Bryant boys exchanged glances, stealing petty cash from the local ranches was one thing but going up against the Cartwrights was quite another.  
  
"I dunno." Andy said nervously, he didn't like to go against Zack, the youth had a dangerous temper, well hidden most of the time but both Andy and his brother had seen flashes of it and it scared them. "Ben Cartwright keeps all the money locked up in the safe, and even if your Ma can get us the combination, well then she'd be the first person they suspected."  
  
Zack smiled coolly. "We just wait till my Ma's alone in the house." He said. "And then we make it look like we tortured her to get the combination. Old Ben thinks more of her than money, he won't suspect anything, it'll be easy, boys."  
  
Andy and Jim weren't so sure, they had definite reservations about this scheme, but neither felt inclined to go against Zack, so reluctantly they listened to his plans for them.  
  
****  
  
   
  
"Zack!" Andy exclaimed in horror as the youth backhanded his mother across the face, causing her nose to start bleeding.  
  
"Gotta make it look good, boys." Zack laughed, he pushed Mary into the chair behind Ben's desk and roughly began to tie her up.  
  
Jim looked up from where he knelt before the safe. "It's open!" He cried and he and his brother began scooping the contents out and loading them into a sack.  
  
Finished binding his mother, Zack turned to help them. "Hurry up." He urged. "The three boys and Hop Sing are in town but old Ben only rode out to check on the herd, he could be back any time."  
  
Spurred on by this information, the Bryant's hastily cleared the safe, taking only cash, tossing documents unheeded to the floor.  
  
"Right, Ma." Zack said to his mother as the three youths prepared to depart. "You know what to say if…"  
  
The opening of the front door interrupted him, Ben entered wearily, it had been a hard day and he was looking forward to relaxing a little with Mary before dinner. Stopping dead inside the door, he stared at the scene before him. "What the devil's going on here!" He shouted. Panicked, Andy Bryant pulled his gun and fired wildly, one of the bullets found it's target, however, and Ben went down, blood flowing from his head.  
  
"You damn fool!" Zack yelled, "I could have talked myself out of this."  
  
"And left us to carry the can." Jim stated. "No chance, Kendall, we're in this together."  
  
Zack hesitated, staring at the fallen figure of Ben Cartwright. Swiftly reaching a decision, he knelt before his mother, she too was gazing at Ben, tears in her eyes. Despite her plans for him, Mary had found herself becoming fond of Ben and was sorry that the shooting had taken place.  
  
"Listen, Ma" Zack told her urgently. "You had nothing to do with this right? You know nothing, let Ben believe it was just me involved. I'm going to have to go with these boys now and hide out for a spell, you just carry on with the plan. I'll be in touch."  
  
Mary nodded, she knew that in the end she would go along with any plan Zack made for her, she loved her son but she also feared him, knowing just how cruel he could be.  
  
****  
  
   
  
The three Cartwrights were in a sombre mood as they returned to the ranch from Virginia City. The telegraph that Adam had been waiting for had arrived an hour ago, and it's contents brought dismay to the three of them.  
  
"I sure ain't relishing telling Pa about this." Hoss remarked to Adam as they rode abreast along the dusty trail. "It'll just about break his heart."  
  
Joe, so angry at his father when he left that morning that he had even refrained from saying goodbye, was feeling bad, whatever his Pa had done, however much he had hurt him, Joe loved his father and couldn't bear to think of him being hurt this much.  
  
Adam rode in silence, his thoughts busy. When he had persuaded Sheriff Coffee to wire New York for information on the Kendall's he had little idea of the devastating reply they would receive. Further information had been sought from San Francisco and Baltimore, the last telegraph that had arrived confirming the other two. Adam had been looking only to find some evidence that Zack Kendall could be involved in the thefts that had taken place, these wires suggested that not only Zack but also his mother was involved in something far more serious.  
  
Riding into the yard the brothers dismounted and tethered their horses to the hitching post, Joe and Hoss looked at Adam, he took the telegraphs from his pocket and prepared to face his father with the unpalatable truth about his fiancée.  
  
Pushing open the door, Adam was met with the horrifying sight of his father lying unmoving in a pool of his own blood. He rushed forward, Hoss and Joe behind him. Relieved to find that at least Ben was still breathing, Adam turned to his brothers'. "Hoss." He instructed urgently. "Ride in for the doctor, quickly." Hoss wasted no time in obeying Adam, turning immediately and heading for the door.  
  
"I don't think we should move him." Adam said worriedly. "Not till Dr Martin's seen him, Joe go get a blanket, we'll try and make him more comfortable."  
  
Joe ran for the stairs, sick with fear. Returning with the blanket his brother had requested he saw Mary still tied to the chair by his father's desk.  
  
Adam reached to take the blanket from Joe, covering his father's prone body.  
  
Joe walked over to his father's desk, wordlessly he untied Mary, she rubbed her wrists where the ropes had bit into her skin, then slowly rose from the chair and walked across to Adam and Ben.  
  
"How is he?" She asked shakily.  
  
Adam jumped, all his thoughts had been with his father, he hadn't even realised that Mary was in the room. "What happened here?" He asked now. "Who shot my father?"  
  
Mary sat down unsteadily on the couch, her eyes fixed on Ben. "I'm so sorry, Adam, Joe." She said. "I couldn't stop them, they overpowered me. It was Andy and Jim Bryant, they robbed your father. Andy was the one who shot him." Her eyes filled with tears that spilt over and ran down her cheeks unheeded. "And Zack was with them." She sobbed. "I'm so sorry."  
  
****  
  
"I think he's going to be fine." Dr Martin told them as he descended the stairs. "It's just a graze really, he should be waking up soon and he'll have a fierce headache, but other than that he should be fine." Upon arrival at the ranch he had declared that Ben should be moved upstairs, and he had just completed a thorough examination of his patient.  
  
The three brothers heaved a collective sigh of relief. Now that they knew their father was in no danger it was time to turn their attention to Mary Kendall.  
  
"Hoss, would you go and sit with Pa." Adam instructed as the doctor left. "Joe and I have something we wish to discuss with Mrs Kendall."  
  
Mary had remained sitting on the couch, sobbing quietly. Adam and Joe approached her now and stood, backs to the fireplace, facing her.  
  
Looking up at the two men, Mary was shocked by the expressions on both their faces. "I never had anything to do with this." She said quickly. "I never suspected that Zack was involved with the Bryant boys, honestly." She turned to look at Adam, then at Joe but saw no understanding on either of their faces, in fact they looked remarkably alike in that moment, both showing condemnation and dislike in their expressions. Silently Adam handed her the three telegraphs that he had been intending to show his father.  
  
Puzzled Mary took them and read the contents, the first, from New York gave details of her background, all told of her marriages, the unfortunate deaths of her husbands and of how she had rapidly taken the money bequeathed to her and left. In all cases foul play had been suspected but not proven, but law officers in all three cities were interested in linking the cases together and talking again to Mary and Zack.  
  
"They were all accidents." Mary's voice was panicked now. "You can't believe I had anything to do with their deaths."  
  
"Oh, but I do." Adam's tone was icy. "And I believe you had my father lined up as your next victim. I believe Sheriff Coffee will be arriving soon and I think he'd going to be really interested in speaking to you."  
  
Terrified, Mary burst into tears. "But it wasn't me!" She wailed. "It was all Zack's idea, we had no money, nowhere to go, he persuaded me that I should marry them for their money, but it was him that killed them not me."  
  
"We'll find Zack." Joe spoke up angrily. "Neither of you are going to get away with this."  
  
****  
  
"I just can't believe it." Ben spoke sadly. "Not of Mary."  
  
"I wish it weren't true, Pa." Adam's voice was sympathetic. "But Mary admitted it, a scheme that Zack thought up and carried through, but Mary went along with it."  
  
Under Roy Coffee's firm questioning Mary had confessed to her part in all three killings. The thing that horrified Adam most was that Zack had begun his killing spree at the tender age of fifteen.  
  
The Sheriff had organised a posse that at that moment was out searching for Zack and the Bryant's.  
  
As Dr Martin had predicted, and much to his sons' relief, Ben had woken with nothing more serious than a severe headache.  
  
To Adam had fallen the unpleasant task of telling his father what had transpired with Mary and Zack.  
  
Ben shook his head in dismay, he knew that what Adam had told him was true but it didn't stop the feeling of despair that swept through him as he realised that he had lost Mary. He had been so happy the past few months since he met her, and once again that happiness was to be denied him. Sinking back on his pillow, he turned his face away from Adam. "I think I'd like to be alone for a while now, son." He told him. "I need some time to think about things."  
  
Worriedly Adam left the room, descending the stairs to join his brothers who were waiting anxiously for him.  
  
"Well?" Joe queried. "How did he take it?"  
  
"Not good." Adam sat down on the couch, he was feeling very concerned, his father had looked shattered when he heard the news, almost as if he were grieving for Mary. "This has really shaken him up." He said, looking at Hoss and Joe. "He really loved her."  
  
"After what she did!" Joe exclaimed. "He should hate her."  
  
"It's hurting Pa to know that Mary wasn't the person he thought she was." Adam explained. "He really thought he had found someone he could be happy with, spend the rest of his life with, now he finds that she was involved in a plot to kill him. He must feel very unsure of his own judgement right now, he was so wrong about her."  
  
"How can we help him?" Hoss asked, hating the fact that his father was hurting so much.  
  
"I don't think we can." Adam told him. "We have to let Pa come to terms with this on his own."  
  
****  
  
   
  
Joe sat down on the veranda with a sigh of relief, he was tired. The last few weeks had been busy on the Ponderosa and all four Cartwrights had been working from dawn to dusk. Ben had thrown himself into his work as soon as he was well enough and since then there had been no let up. And he was driving his sons' as hard as he drove himself. Catching sight of his father now, approaching from the stable, Joe got to his feet, he knew Ben would chew him out if he caught him not working. He was aware that his father's recent bad temper was due to the situation with Mary, knew his father was hurting, but the constant criticism he attracted lately was beginning to wear him down.  
  
"Have you finished those horses already?" Ben said, approaching Joe.  
  
"All done." Joe replied.  
  
"Then you can get out and help your brothers on the fences." Ben instructed.  
  
"Pa, I've been working since sun up." Joe protested. "Couldn't I finish early for a change."  
  
"Now, Joseph." Ben voice began to rise angrily.  
  
Joe shrugged and walked off to saddle Cochise, Ben watched him go, feeling a twinge of guilt, Joe did look tired, he realised, and they had all been working hard lately. Perhaps it was time they took a break, but the thought filled him with dismay, he needed to keep working to keep at bay the feeling of emptiness that threatened to engulf him whenever he was at rest. Despite what he now knew about Mary he missed her presence on the ranch.  
  
****  
  
   
  
Joe was feeling resentful as he headed out to join his brothers. It was time the three of them presented a united front to their father, he mused, enough was enough, and they couldn't keep up this pace for much longer. Still it was good to be out riding after a hard days work at home. Joe felt his spirits lift as he took in the glorious scenery around him.  
  
It was then that Joe noticed something out of the ordinary, there was a small group of trees off to his right and amongst them he was sure he saw a flash of red. The posse that had searched for Zack and the Bryant's had found no trace of them and Sheriff Coffee was of the opinion that they had left the area, but there was always the possibility that they had returned so Joe was wary as he rode over to the trees.  
  
As he drew near, the red that he could see came into focus as the body of a man in a red shirt lying face down on the ground. Dismounting from Cochise, Joe drew his gun and warily approached the still figure. He nudged the body with his foot, which elicited a groan from the man. Crouching down Joe reached to roll the man over, and found himself looking at Jim Bryant!  
  
"Throw your gun down Joe" The voice came from behind him but Joe recognised it at once as Zack. "There are two guns on you, so don't try anything stupid."  
  
Reluctantly Joe placed his gun on the ground beside him.  
  
"Now stand up and move back over here." Zack instructed.  
  
Joe did as he was told, turning he saw Andy Bryant and Zack. The past few weeks had not been kind to the fugitives, they looked thinner, dirty and tired.  
  
"I hear you Cartwrights turned my dear Mama over to the law." Zack said, motioning for Joe to sit on a nearby rock. "I'm not very pleased about that, Joe."  
  
"Sheriff Coffee's still looking for you boys." Joe told them. "There's a small matter of three counts of murder that he'd like to talk to Zack about."  
  
Zack grinned, he stood, gun in hand watching Joe, the two Bryant boys behind him. "Seems to me my Mama will be in jail awhile." He said eventually. "And whatever you think, Joe, I do love my Ma. She's done her best for me over the years. Seems to me I should try and gain some revenge, don't you think fellas?" He addressed the question to Andy and Jim who nodded in agreement. They were prepared to go along with Zack whatever he suggested, in the time they had been on the run he had shown himself to be a dangerous person to cross.  
  
Zack moved closer to Joe who remained still, watching him. "Here's my plan." He said. "I'm sure you'll like it Joe. I thought of it as soon as I saw you ride into view, which was a stroke of luck I must say. I thought to myself if I can take Little Joseph Francis hostage who's going to come looking for him, why his two brothers and his father, Mr high and mighty Ben Cartwright himself." Zack laughed suddenly, the unexpected sound making Joe start. "And then." Zack continued taking mock aim with the gun he held. "I can just pick off old Ben as easy as you like, your Papa for my Mama Joe, there's justice for you."  
  
****  
  
   
  
Initially Ben was annoyed when Adam and Hoss returned to the ranch without Joe, but as the afternoon shadows lengthened towards evening he found himself growing concerned. "You never saw Joe at all?" He asked Hoss for at least the third time.  
  
"I done told you, Pa." Hoss was also growing worried about his little brother, Pa had told Joe to help him and Adam and it wasn't like Joe to outright disobey his father.  
  
"I think we ought to go look for him." Adam spoke up. "I know Roy thinks Zack and his friends have moved on but I'm not so sure." He saw Ben flinch at the mention of Zack's name but concern for his youngest brother overcame any consideration of his father's sensitivities at the moment.  
  
"You're right, Adam." Ben came to a decision. "Let's go and find your brother."  
  
****  
  
   
  
"Lookee here, boys." Zack called to Andy and Jim. "Here come the Cartwrights, just as I predicted."  
  
Joe's heart plummeted, dread sweeping over him as he saw Zack begin to target his father. "No!" He cried, getting to his feet, but immediately Jim and Andy grabbed his arms, holding him back.  
  
"Naughty, naughty." Zack said as he ripped the bandanna he wore from around his neck and roughly gagged Joe.  
  
Horrified, Joe watched as Zack aimed his gun, struggling desperately against his captors. He managed to break free and flung himself on Zack just as he fired. The bullet went wild, Joe fought hard to wrest the gun from Zack's grip.  
  
"Leave it, Zack." Yelled Andy. "We gotta get away."  
  
Zack managed to twist away from Joe, looking up he could see the Cartwrights galloping towards them, Andy and Jim had already mounted their horses and now Zack ran for his. As Zack began to mount his horse, Joe threw himself at the youth, the two tussled again then the sound of a gunshot split the air and Joe fell. With not even a backward glance Zack leapt into the saddle and the three fugitives galloped away.  
  
****  
  
   
  
"That's Zack and the Bryant's." Adam yelled to his father as he saw the three horsemen.  
  
Ben spurred his own horse forward, an unspeakable dread was clutching at his heart, he could see Cochise by the trees and knew that something dreadful had happened to Joe.  
  
"Joseph." Ben reined in Buck and dismounted rapidly, running to his son who lay motionless on the ground beneath the trees. Dropping to his knees beside Joe he saw the blood on his sons chest.  
  
"Get him back to the ranch." Adam said urgently, as he reached his father and brother. "I'll go fetch the doctor." Turning he ran back to his horse and mounting, rode rapidly away towards Virginia City.  
  
"I'll take him." Hoss said, and picked his brother up gently in his arms, Ben mounted Buck and Hoss carefully handed Joe up to his father.  
  
They headed for home, Hoss leading Cochise. Ben rode as fast as he dared one hand on the reins, the other clasping Joe tightly to him. 'Please Lord.' He prayed silently. 'Please don't let me lose Joseph.'  
  
****  
  
By the time Adam returned with the doctor Ben and Hoss had got Joe into the house and into bed. The wound in his chest was still bleeding, despite their efforts to staunch the flow, and he was still unconscious.  
  
"Adam, Hoss wait downstairs." Doctor Martin instructed, opening his bag. "Give me room to work on your brother."  
  
Ben watched anxiously as the doctor examined Joe, noting with concern the frown on his friend's face.  
  
"He's not too good, Ben." He said sombrely as he finished his examination. "He's lost a lot of blood. I'm going to have to get that bullet out and I'll need your help." Ben nodded mutely. " I don't think it's hit anything vital but it's caused a lot of damage."  
  
****  
  
   
  
Adam and Hoss waited fearfully, the Doctor had been with Joe for nearly two hours. Lighting the lamps as darkness fell, Hoss was beginning to despair. "What in tarnation is taking so long?" He said to Adam who was sitting on the hearth, staring into the fire.  
  
Adam didn't reply, he was thinking about Zack. While Doctor Martin was getting his equipment together to come and tend to Joe, Adam had run across to the Sheriff's office and told Roy Coffee what had transpired. The Sheriff had promised to get a posse out on Zack's trail by first light the following morning. Adam intended to be with them, and if anything happened to his little brother, he promised himself, he wouldn't return until he found Zack and made sure he got what was coming to him.  
  
Hearing the Doctor's tread on the stair Hoss and Adam looked up expectantly, almost afraid to ask how Joe was as they saw the grim look on Dr Martins face.  
  
"He's still with us, boys." The doctor said, seeing the fear on their faces. "But he's not too good I'm afraid. We got the bullet out of him, but he's sustained massive blood loss and his body is in shock. All we can do now is wait and hope that he's strong enough to pull through."  
  
"Can we see him?" Hoss asked, his voice cracking with emotion.  
  
"You can." Dr Martin told them. "Tell your father I'll be back up in a while, I'm just going to get a cup of coffee."  
  
As the doctor headed off to the kitchen Adam and Hoss ascended the stairs to their brother's room.  
  
****  
  
   
  
In the soft glow of the lamplight Ben watched his youngest son, lying so still in the bed. It was 2a.m and around him the house was still. Ben had finally managed to persuade Adam and Hoss to get some rest, they had left reluctantly, but judging from the snoring that he could hear, Hoss at least was managing to sleep. Dr Martin, at Ben's insistence, had taken his bed, asking to be woken immediately if any change occurred in his patient's condition.  
  
Gently touching Joe's brow, Ben was concerned to find that his fever had not diminished. Fear lay heavy in Ben's heart, his son was so pale, so still. Reaching out he softly touched Joe's face, thinking of how much he cared about this beloved child. Joe had probably caused his father more worries in his short life than Adam and Hoss ever had, but Ben could not bear to contemplate life without him. Unlike his brothers' Joe's emotions were always close to the surface, he lived life to the full. The Ponderosa would be bereft without his lively presence and Ben knew that if Joe died part of him would die with him. He turned as the bedroom door opened quietly and Adam entered the room.  
  
"Any Change?" He asked softly.  
  
Ben shook his head. "If you're going out with the posse in the morning you need to get some rest." He told his oldest son sternly.  
  
"I couldn't sleep." Adam came to stand beside his father. "I just kept thinking of Joe and of Zack."  
  
The two remained silent for a while, both watching Joe, willing him better.  
  
"Pa." Adam ventured at last. "Can I ask you a personal question?"  
  
Ben nodded. "Ask away." He said.  
  
"Zack told Joe that you had told his mother all about Marie." He said quietly. "About her background, everything. Did you tell her Pa?"  
  
Ben stared at Adam in shock. "Of course not." He denied angrily. "I would never divulge that to anyone Adam, you know that." Then a thought struck him. "Is that why Joe was so cold with me?" He asked in dismay. "He thought I betrayed his mother?"  
  
Adam nodded in agreement. "He was so hurt, Pa." He told him. "But thinking about it I couldn't believe you would do such a thing, but if you didn't then how did Zack know?"  
  
"I think I know answer to that." Both men started, they hadn't heard Hop Sing enter the room, the little cook had brought a tray of coffee up to Ben and had just caught the tail end of the conversation. "Two times I find Missee Mary looking through Mister Cartlights private things." He told them. "Once she read journal from locked drawer."  
  
Ben was dismayed at this revelation, to have opened the locked drawer meant Mary must have searched his room, and to tell Zack about Marie, Ben could well imagine how Joe must have felt.  
  
****  
  
Hop Sing waited while Ben drank a cup of coffee, he didn't really want the beverage but the little man stood, waiting patiently, until Ben had drained his cup, then satisfied he picked up the tray and left the bedroom.  
  
"You go and try to get some sleep, Adam." Ben told his oldest firmly. "I'll wake you if anything changes."  
  
Adam was unwilling to leave Joe's bedside, but realising that he needed to rest if he was going to ride with Sheriff Coffee the next day, he eventually retired to bed.  
  
Alone with Joe, Ben found tiredness overtaking him, and eventually, just before dawn he slipped into a fitful doze.  
  
"Pa?" Ben started awake at the sound of his son's voice to see Joe watching him, his green eyes were bright with fever but he appeared aware of his surroundings. "Did you get Zack?" He asked Ben.  
  
"Sheriff Coffee has a posse going out in the morning." Ben told him, then looking at the window he saw that whilst he had been sleeping the sun had risen and morning had arrived. He felt Joe's brow again, relieved to find that he didn't feel as hot as he had done in the night. "How are you feeling Joseph?" He asked.  
  
"I'll be all right, Pa." Joe, as usual, made light of his injuries. "I feel a bit shaky, but I'll be fine."  
  
"I think we'll let Dr Martin be the judge of that young man." Ben's tone was severe but the smile he gave Joe belied his words. Joe returned his father's smile and Ben's spirits rose at his son's grin. "I'm going to get the doctor." He told Joe, getting up from the bedside. "But before I do, Joe, there's something I want you to know." Ben gently grasped his son's hand as he told him what they had found out, that Mary had, unbeknown to him, read his journal and imparted the information within to Zack. "I would never have told anyone about your mother." He said earnestly. "And I am so sorry that you were hurt."  
  
An expression of great relief crossed Joe's face, the sense of betrayal he had been carrying with him since Zack had goaded him about his mother finally dispersed.  
  
****  
  
  
  
"He's on the mend, Ben." Dr Martin told his old friend. "But he's still very weak and there is still a trace of fever. Watch him carefully over the next few days and if he doesn't continue to improve let me know at once."  
  
Thanking the doctor and assuring him that he would send for him if Joe did get any worse, Ben saw him to his horse.  
  
Adam and Hoss were in the yard, preparing to ride out and join the posse, they were relieved to hear that their little brother was improving.  
  
"Roy said he'd meet me up by where we last saw Zack." Adam told his father. "I don't know how long we'll be gone, Pa, but I intend to catch up with Zack Kendall, however long it takes."  
  
Hoss saw the look of concern on his father's face, "Don't you worry none, Pa." He said. "We'll be fine, you just watch out for Joe."  
  
"Just be careful." Ben warned as he watched his two eldest sons mount up. "Come back safe."  
  
Raising a hand in acknowledgement of his father's words Adam turned his horse and headed out of the yard, Hoss following close behind.  
  
****  
  
"I've picked up a trail." Sheriff Coffee called as the two brothers' joined him at the spot where Joe had been shot. "They have a long start on us, so we'd best get after them straight away."  
  
Adam and Hoss fell in with the half dozen men that formed the posse and headed out towards the mountains.  
  
It was nearing midday and the posse were well into the foothills when they were surprised to be hailed by a rider coming down to meet them  
  
Adam strained his eyes to make out the features of the man. "I believe that's Jim Bryant!" He said to Roy. "And looks like he has a body with him."  
  
With guns drawn the men watched as Jim Bryant rode closer to them, as he drew nearer they saw that Adam was right, slung across the saddle in front of Jim was the body of his brother Andy!  
  
"I'm turning myself in." Jim yelled, as he reined his horse to a stop a short distance away from the waiting posse.  
  
Sheriff Coffee ordered Jim to throw down his weapon and then dismount. Jim obeyed and Roy and the Cartwrights also dismounted and walked over to him.  
  
Adam reached down and picked up Jim's gun from where it had fallen, handing it to the Sheriff. "What happened to Andy?" He asked Jim. "And where is Kendall?"  
  
"Kendall!" Jim said bitterly, he looked behind him at the body of his brother. "It was Kendall that shot Andy." He told them. "Andy wanted to come home, to give ourselves up, after all we got family in Virginia City to think about. I know Andy shot your Pa." He said, turning to look at Adam and Hoss. "But he never killed him, and the rest of what we did was just theivin'. Andy thought if we turned ourselves in, the court might go easy with us."  
  
"But Zack tried to stop you?" Adam asked.  
  
"He got into a fight with Andy." Jim said sadly. "My brother tried to walk away, but Kendall just up and shot him. I think he was sorry he done it afterwards, I thought he was going to kill me too, but he just told me to bring Andy home."  
  
"So where's Kendall at now?" Hoss asked urgently.  
  
"Just back up the trail aways." Jim told them. "When I left him he was just standing there, gazing off at nothing. Seems to me he'd given up, reckon he's just waiting for you fellas to come and get him."  
  
Leaving Jim with two men from the posse to guard him, the Sheriff led the rest of them up the dusty trail into the mountains. They hadn't ridden longer than half an hour when they came across a sight they had not expected. Zack Kendall lay beside his horse, the youth had obviously taken his own life, the top of his head practically blown away, the gun still gripped in his lifeless fingers.  
  
Adam shuddered at the grim sight, he couldn't imagine what had driven Zack to this, perhaps he thought capture was inevitable and preferred death by his own hand to the hangman's noose, or perhaps he was remorseful over the killing of Andy Bryant and genuinely regretted his actions. Whichever option was correct, it was probable that no one but Zack himself would ever know.  
  
****  
  
   
  
Ben opened the door to Roy Coffee's knock  
  
"Afternoon, Roy." He welcomed the Sheriff. "What brings you out here?"  
  
Roy came into the room, greeting Joe who was seated on the couch. Though much improved the youngest Cartwrights injury was not yet fully healed and much to his chagrin Ben had insisted that he remain in the house until it was. Always a difficult patient, his father and brothers had been driven to distraction the past few days, as he grew more and more anxious to return to work. Ben remained firm, however, Joe would not leave the house until he got the all clear from Dr Martin.  
  
Roy shuffled his feet uncomfortably, he didn't like what he had to tell Ben, he had seen how badly his old friend had been affected by the arrest of Mary Kendall, now that Ben appeared to have recovered from his grief, Roy was unwilling to reopen the wound.  
  
"Spit it out, Roy" Ben said, seeing the Sheriff's hesitancy.  
  
"Mary Kendall wants to see you." Roy blurted out, he saw the look of pain that crossed Ben's face, the anger that flashed in Joe's eyes, and was sorry that he was the one to have brought them this news. "I just got back from visiting her." He explained. "I had to go and tell her about Zack. It just about destroyed her, Ben, killer he may have been, but she sure loved that boy. She begged me to ask you if you would see her, said she needed to say sorry in person."  
  
Joe saw the look on his father's face at Roy's words. "You're not going to go, Pa?" He asked in dismay.  
  
Ben stood where he was, a tumult of emotions raging within him. In the last few weeks, when Joe had been so ill, the worry over his son and taking care of him had forced Ben to put Mary out of his mind. As Joe recovered Ben found that his thoughts had turned once again to Mary and of what could have been. But instead of the bleak despair he had felt before, Ben had become angry, angry that he had been duped in such a way, angry that he had been responsible for bringing Zack into their lives, an action which could have caused his own death, and had caused serious injury to his youngest son. He found himself curious to see Mary again, to see if he could work out how she could have taken him in so easily. Whatever she had done, Ben reminded himself, she had paid for it in a terrible way with the loss of her son. Remembering the fear he had felt when Joe was hurt Ben felt that he could not deny her request to see him.  
  
****  
  
   
  
The prison building was huge and imposing. A warder led Ben to the women's quarters. A female warder came to meet him and took him through a maze of corridors, arriving at last in a large, sparsely furnished room where she instructed him to wait. Ben sat on one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs that lined the room and waited for the woman to return.  
  
It was close on half an hour later that the female warder returned, bringing Mary with him. Ben stood up as they entered the room, surprised to find that, despite all that had transpired between them, he still felt a rush of affection at the sight of Mary.  
  
"Ben." She came towards him, hands outstretched. "It's so good to see you."  
  
He took her hands, studying her closely, he could see the sorrow in her face, see how she grieved for her son. "I'm sorry about Zack." Ben told her. "You must miss him very much."  
  
Mary's face fell, tears brimming in her eyes. "I do." She said. "I loved him so much Ben, I know the terrible things that he did but to me he was always my baby, and I loved him whatever."  
  
Ben watched her in silence for a while, he felt sorry for her loss, but the feelings of love that he had felt for her were gone, he realised. "Why did you ask to see me?" He asked her curiously.  
  
"I had to see you." Her voice was solemn. "I needed to say how sorry I am for what happened. I know that what Zack and I did was wrong, but if you only knew Ben. My first husband was a harsh, cruel man, when he died Zack and I were left with very little, Zack came up with a plan to make us plenty of cash and I'm ashamed to say I went along with it. Then, when my second husband died and we inherited the cash, it was so good Ben, we could live in style for a while, but the money soon ran out and we were forced to put Zack's plan into action again." Mary paused, the tears were flowing freely now, running down her cheeks and splashing onto the table in front of her.  
  
"And then I met you." She continued. "And as I got to know you I realised that you were different from my other husband's, you were strong, caring and loving but no pushover. I was sorry that Zack's misguided attempt at robbery left you injured Ben, I realise now that I was falling in love with you."  
  
Ben considered his next words carefully before speaking. "I was falling in love with you, Mary." He told her. "But the person I was falling for never really existed did they? You only wanted to seduce me to get your hands on a share of the Ponderosa. I'm very sorry for your loss, Mary." He continued. "I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to lose a son, but thanks to your son I nearly did lose Joseph and that is something I cannot easily forgive."  
  
"But you know the Governor." Mary cried, clutching at Ben's arm. "You could surely put in a good word for me. Please, Ben." She begged. "Please help me get out of here."  
  
Repulsed, Ben broke away from her, he left the prison with a sense of elation, at last he was free of Mary Kendall.  
  
Outside in the dusty street Adam, Hoss and Joe awaited him. The three had insisted on accompanying their father on this trip and now they waited anxiously to see what damage Mary had wrought. They were surprised to see Ben smile as he greeted them. "I'm fine, boys." He told them. "Let's go home."  
  
The four Cartwrights headed out towards the Ponderosa. Ben studied his sons as they rode, whatever he had felt for Mary had gone, he realised, now he could only be thankful that he had his sons with him. For a while he had hoped that he could recapture the love he had shared with his sons' mothers, but he had been duped, Mary was not the person he had believed her to be. Ben saw the concern on his sons' faces, he knew how much they cared for him, and he was pleased that his boys cared so much. Perhaps there never would be another Mrs Ben Cartwright but at least he had his three sons, he was blessed indeed.  
  
THE END  
  
© Kathleen Pitts 1999 


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